Indigenous Affairs Minister reviewing future of National Congress of Australia's First Peoples

Nigel Scullion has questioned the expenditure of $29 million on the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples.

AAP: Alan Porritt, file photo

The future of the national body elected to represent the views of Indigenous people in Australia is under review by the Federal Government.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion has questioned the expenditure of $29 million on the establishment and operation of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples.

The body's elected Co-chair, Kirstie Parker, says that since Congress opened its doors in 2010, about 7,500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have signed up as members, "representing many, many thousands of indigenous families around the country".

Ms Parker has urged Senator Scullion to honour the previous government's commitment to provide an additional $15 million in funding through until 2017.

But the Minister says future funding is now being reviewed, and he has questioned the cost of running the organisation and whether Congress has enough members when just 800 people voted in Congress elections.

Senator Scullion says he is yet to discuss further government funding with Congress.

"Congress at the moment have some $8 million," he said.

"The whole notion of Congress was that they were funded in a way that said, at the end of this period of five years you will then be independent.

"That five years isn't over. They have some substantial funds in reserve and I've yet to have that conversation with Congress."

Shadow Indigenous Affairs Minister Shayne Neumann is urging the government to give Congress a chance to grow.

"We put $15 million aside in the forward estimates to continue the funding for this important representative organisation," Mr Neumann said.

"And I call on Nigel Scullion to do the right thing by Congress and Indigenous people of this country and commit himself to that funding."

One of Senator Scullion's policy advisers says no decision has been made about funding for Congress but it is being reviewed.

It could be one of the items up for discussion when the Prime Minister has his first meeting with his National Indigenous Advisory Council in Canberra later this afternoon.